1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an amusement and education device in the form of a folding picture puzzle, and more particularly to a multi-picture folding puzzle in a rectangular format.
2. Description of Related Art
Folding puzzles made of a flat sheet material provided with indicia or fragmentary images and which form a complete picture of a scene or well-known object when properly folded are known in the art.
Edborg, U.S. Pat. No. 2,327,875, discloses a folding picture puzzle on a flexible rectangular sheet with partial pictures of animals printed on triangular segments formed by the intersection of horizontal, vertical and diagonal fold lines. When combined with diagonal cuts that originate at an edge of the flexible rectangular sheet, the fold lines allow for proper folding into a complete picture by juxtaposing four triangular segments. The disclosed folding picture puzzle has sixteen triangular segments per side that can be folded in any of a multiple of combinations to form either of only two complete pictures.
A second concurrently issued patent to Edborg, U.S. Pat. No. 2,327,876, also discloses a folding picture puzzle, but in this case as a central hexagon made up of a series of triangles meeting at a point at their bases and projecting outward away from the hexagon to form a six-pointed star. Folding along the fold lines together with an incision made along a single fold line are used for juxtaposing triangular segments having partial pictures printed thereon to form a single complete picture. There appear to be multiple solutions to forming a complete picture by the juxtaposition of triangular segments.
The folding picture puzzle disclosed by Belsky, U.S. Pat. No. 2,655,382, is flat and comprised of a series of multidirectional scoring lines that subdivide fragmentary pieces of a picture so that a single complete picture can be recreated when the puzzle is properly folded. Only one side can form a complete picture, the opposite side being provided with a means for tucking folds in such a manner as to lock in the solution to the puzzle.
U.S. Pat. No. 566,854, issued in 1896 to Frank, also discloses a type of folding picture puzzle. The puzzle is described as a wheel with twelve radial die cuts originating from the edge of the wheel and terminating halfway to the center of the wheel, dividing the circumference of the wheel into twelve equal sections that can be folded towards the center. Parts of images are printed on the reverse side of the wheel such that when multiple sections are folded over on top of one another, a complete image or picture is formed.